Burn
by piggycat350
Summary: for the ones he loved, his flames burn deeper and hotter like never before. NxL


Burn

A Fairy Tail Fanfic

Disclaimer: FT isn't mine.

* * *

He tumbled backwards, and landed on the ground with a loud thud. His face contorted with pain, and the slightest movement was met with a loud hiss. It seems as though he might have fractured a rib or two. He laid his head back, darkness already encroaching at the edge of his vision. Breathing hard, he tried to stay awake, and was failing badly. The shouts and screams in the background were fading and the tangy smell of blood in his nose was disappearing.

He was losing. And he hated himself for it.

He took another shaky breath and tried to push himself up, but somehow his limbs didn't seem to obeying. His eyes were fluttering shut, and his sense of hearing was the last to go. The final thing he heard before darkness took over completely was a familiar, heartbreaking scream–

"_NATSU!_"

And everything went dark.

* * *

"Natsu!"

His eyes remained closed as something warm blew over his face. It was a very comfortable sensation.

"Natsu! Get up!"

Something nudged at his torso. When there was still no response, there was a low "harrumph" and the next thing he knew was that his pants were on fire.

His eyes flew open and he jumped to his feet with a yell, hands patting his burning backside. When it finally went out, the pink-haired boy turned, a pout on his lips, to face a snickering dragon.

"Igneel!" He crossed his arms. "What'dcha do that for?!"

His foster father laughed – and it was quite a sight to see a dragon laughing – and spoke. "You refused to get up when I called, so I had to do something."

"And you set my pants on fire?!" He was indignant.

There was a twinkle in the dragon's golden eyes as he continued, "Well, I didn't think you would want to miss your first lesson today."

The pink-haired boy's mouth was opened in mid-tirade before the words sink in, and a huge smile appeared. "My first lesson? Really? You're gonna finally teach me how to create fire? Really? Really? Really?" He was practically bouncing up and down in excitement, before he threw his little body against Igneel's, his arms not even reaching around the dragon's forefoot.

The fire dragon laughed affectionately, before shaking the boy loose from his leg. He turned and gestured with his head. "Come along then. Go wash up and I'll see you at our training area."

He barely finished his sentence before there was a pink blur as Natsu dashed out, yelling happily as he did so. The dragon could only chuckle as he watched his foster son practically somersaulting out.

XXX

"The first thing you should learn is the properties of fire. Fire is–"

"Can't you just start teaching me how to blow things up?" A bored-looking Natsu whined.

A puff of fire was aimed in front of the boy, and he yelped and scooted backwards. Natsu threw Igneel a dirty look. "What was that for?"

"For not paying attention, and interrupting me." Igneel sighed at the boy's petulant look. "Natsu. You've got to know what fire is before you can create it, and wield it to its full potential. Fire is wild, volatile, and has no mind of its own. It burns without mercy and burns deep. To be a master of fire, you have to know what it is like first. Otherwise you would end up hurting the ones you love."

"But I don't wanna hurt you, Igneel." The fire dragon softened at the earnest look on the young boy's face.

"Then listen to what I have to say and stop interrupting." He gave the boy a sharp rap on his head, and smiled when the boy returned it with a toothy grin of his own.

XXX

"Breath in deep and concentrate, Natsu."

His eyes screwed tight and beads of perspiration dotted on his forehead.

"Come on, Natsu. Focus. Feel the burn."

The boy growled, muttering under his breath. "I am, I am."

"Then stop talking!"

He took in a deep breath, and felt a ticklish feeling at the back of his throat. Trying to quell his excitement, his eyes flew open and he jumped up, shouting as he did so.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"

Instead of the huge burst of flame he was expecting to see, a puff of smoke blew out instead.

His shoulders slumped, and the pink-haired boy never looked smaller. Igneel sighed and gave him a sympathetic look, gently patting him on his head. "It's okay. This is an ancient magic and extremely powerful. To expect you to master it in such a short period of time may be asking too m–"

"NO!" The boy brushed off his father's hand, and Igneel was slightly taken aback at the tears in his eyes. "I can do this! I know I can!" He turned and ran off, towards the forest. The dragon only gazed after his retreating back.

XXX

It has been slightly over a month since they started, and Natsu was still having difficulties breathing fire. His physical attacks were improving – even surprising Igneel with a powerful attack just last week – but the boy still had trouble creating his own fire. He turned his head towards a slumbering Natsu , his eyes having no trouble picking up the exhausted boy in the dark, and sighed.

Time was passing much too fast to his comfort. Sequestering the boy and himself in an isolated area would no longer work out. He had already heard rumours about trouble stirring up in the west and soon, even he can't ignore things.

The fire dragon has to fly once again.

His golden gaze remained on his foster son, hoping against hope that his boy would not hold a grudge against him.

Unsurprisingly, sleep eluded him that night.

XXX

Within a blink of an eye, a month has gone by since the day the pink-haired boy woke up to a dark, cold and empty cave, with a scarf draped carefully around him. He had waited, and waited – one day, then two, and before he knew it, a week had come and gone. It was then the young boy decided to take matters into his own hand set out to find his father. He left the place he grew up in with barely a backward glance. Home was not a home without Igneel there.

With the barest of necessities in his makeshift rucksack, Natsu left home for the first time. He travelled mainly by foot, going where his instincts told him to, and sleeping in forests at night with the occasional naps in the barns of certain houses. He grasped at any rumours of dragon sightings and went where those rumours took him. His meals were mainly nuts and berries, and the odd rabbit that Igneel once taught him to hunt, clean and cook. Sometimes, he gets pitiful looks from matronly ladies and gets a rare hot meal from them.

In between travelling from one destination to another, he would brush up on his combat skills. And despite everything, he still had trouble breathing and creating fire. As he lay on his back one night – looking up at the starry sky – Natsu couldn't help but feel a twinge of loneliness, and in that instant, how he wished there was someone he could talk to.

XXX

The next day, when he got up, there was a weird sense tingling in his chest. He shook it off and went about packing up his things, preparing for his next trip. As he made his way through the quiet forest, humming under his breath, there was a loud 'BOOM' and the ground rattled.

He fell to his knees in shock and was stunned for a moment. Birds flew from the trees, chattering nosily. He got up quickly and went to the source, blinking at the scene before him.

A group of five hooded men surrounded something, and as he strained to see what it was, one shuffled and Natsu caught a glimpse of a small, old man trapped under a huge net. The men were laughing, and jeering.

"Look at this! Can't believe he went out so easily!"

"That reward is ours!"

One of the men kicked the old man, chortling as he did so. White-hot anger flashed over the younger boy's eyes. It was no way to treat another human being. He stepped out from his hiding place, dropping his rucksack as he did so.

"Hey you!"

They whirled at the intrusion, scowls on their faces. Natsu swallowed, feeling uncharacteristically nervous. "Let the Gramps go!"

The men stared at the pink-haired youth for a moment, before bursting into laughter again. One of them stepped forward, and taunted.

"Look at what we have here! A little _girl_ is trying to play hero!" They broke out in laughter again. The old man's eyes found Natsu's and the pink-haired youth started at the intensity of his gaze. Slightly discomfited by it, he turned back to the men.

"I'm not a girl!" He growled.

Smirks. "Better go on home kid, before we change our minds." They turned and ignored him.

He was furious. Eyeing the nearest pebble, he picked it up and swung it towards them. It hit the back of one's head. The hooded man turned, furious. Energy seemed to crackle around his very being. Natsu took a step back, fear pounding through his veins.

"You wanna play, little boy?" He raised his right hand and energy gathered around his palm, revealing a green ball of fire. Natsu stared, hypnotized by the flickering green flame.

"Then lets play."

He swung the ball of flame towards Natsu, who ducked and managed to miss the flame by an inch. He rolled, and found a fallen branch right in front of him. He picked it up and swung it at the man, who grabbed it and the branch burst into green flames in an instant.

The remaining men behind stirred, but he stopped them, pushing his hood back, revealing blond hair and gleaming green eyes. "No. I can take care of this."

Natsu swallowed hard – his throat dry, and his heart pounding fast. The blond smirked and stepped forward. "Even if you change your mind now, I would still destroy you. This is what you get for sticking your nose in Atlas Flame's business."

Then his assault began.

Countless green flame balls appeared around him and with a simple flick of his wrist, they flew in Natsu's direction. He ran forward, ducking left and right, before sliding and kicking the guy's legs, knocking him off his feet. Natsu then rolled and jumped back up, patting the flames out on his sleeve where a stray fireball got him. His opponent got up, leaves stuck in his hair, fury in his eyes. He lashed out at Natsu, who countered with a powerful kick of his own. The punch landed in Natsu's abdomen and he flew back, grunting in pain. He jumped back up, panting heavily, brushing the perspiration off his face. He scowled and as he prepared to do his specialized flying tackle attack, something got hold of him, locking his arms behind him.

He yelled and stomped his feet to no effect, he was lifted off the ground easily. Natsu managed to twist his head and saw a hooded man behind him. He scowled and kicked his legs futilely.

"You cheater!" The pink-haired boy grounded his teeth in frustration. "You said you were going to fight fair!"

The blond was laughing, clutching at his sides. "I never said that." He stepped up to Natsu, and gave him a tight slap. Spots blurred his vision as he felt the pain resonate in his head.

"You little loser." Natsu could practically smell the sour breath coming from his opponent, as he whispered in his face. "You don't know a smidge of magic and you dare challenge me? The Salamander?"

Onyx eyes glared back at him. "I know magic!" He growled. "My dad taught me how! He's a Fire Dragon!" There was no mistaking the pride in Natsu's voice as he announced that.

Silence.

Then laughter erupted. Spittle was practically flying onto Natsu's face as the man doubled over in laughter. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. The blond man straightened, trying to catch his breath. "Really? A Dragon?" Natsu licked his lips, not understanding why these men were laughing. The man snickered, a wicked look in his eyes.

"Where is he then? If he's a dragon, then I'm a monkey's ass." He smirked and patted Natsu's face in a condescending manner. "Don't make things up trying to protect your loser of a father." The pink-haired boy's eyes closed. A burning feeling coiled in his stomach at those words. The blond turned his back and waved.

"Dragons don't exist, little boy."

The burning feeling in his stomach erupted, spreading throughout his body. Adrenaline pumped through his blood, thumping a steady rhythm in his head. And Natsu finally understood the meaning behind Igneel's teachings.

_Feel the burn, Natsu. Feel the burn and let it spread through._

Heat shimmered around him, and the hooded man suddenly found his hands blistering on Natsu's skin.

_You're a Fire Dragon Slayer, Natsu. Only you have the power of the Fire Dragon Igneel and only you are the true master of fire._

He dropped Natsu onto the ground with a shout, flicking his hands to rid of the burning sensation. The group of men turned in confusion. Natsu still had his eyes closed.

_Feel the burn, Natsu. And let your flames come alive._

"What in the wo–" The Salamander barely finished his words when a blistering wall of heat burst out from Natsu, rolling out and giving them all a very bad sun-burnt look. They dropped to the ground, facing away from the heat source.

_Do it Natsu. Let your fire burn._

The heat disappeared in an instant, and the blond was the first up on his feet, his eyes finding Natsu's small figure easily. Before he could do anything, the boy had his eyes opened and trained on him. The Salamander took an unwitting step back, swearing he could see a smirk on the younger boy's face.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"

A huge plume of flame – bigger and _hotter_ than anything he created – rolled out from his mouth. The Salamander could only stand there, stunned – with no escape – and his last thought was at how _majestic_ the flames were, and how they resembled a dragon. And he found himself wondering–

Maybe the pink-haired boy was not lying about dragons after all.

XXX

In the aftermath of it all, Natsu dropped to his knees – exhausted and totally emptied out. The heat dissipated and blessed coolness took over in its place. The group of men laid on the ground, defeated and badly burned. Natsu fell backwards and breathed in deeply, a smile spreading over his face slowly. Exhilaration coursed through his body. He pumped his hand up in the air.

_I did it, Igneel! I created my own fire!_

His hand then fell back limply at his side, and an overwhelming sense of loneliness and sadness took over. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, and he realized that this was the first time he cried since Igneel left.

As tears trailed down, Natsu became aware of a shuffling sound. He jumped to his feet – ready to fight again – when he saw it was the elderly grandpa he was helping in the first place. With a start, he realized that he had actually forgotten about him. He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Sorry 'bout that, Gramps. Are you hurt anywhere?"

The man continued staring and Natsu fidgeted under his stare. He rambled on. "Well, if you're not hurt, I guess I'd better be on my way." He waved half-heartedly, and turned to retrieve his things.

"Boy." Natsu jumped slightly. He turned, wary. The old man had a smile on his face. "You… have a unique gift." He walked towards the pink-haired boy.

"Would you like to join a guild? My guild."

Natsu blinked. "What's… what's a guild?"

The man stared at the boy, wondering. "It's a place where you can have fun. You can laugh, fight, cry with your comrades. It's a place where lost boys like you can call home."

His heart thumped at the prospect of joining this guild the old man spoke of, but Natsu shook his head.

"I can't."

"Why not, boy?"

"I… I need to find my father."

"The dragon you spoke of?"

His head shot up, onyx eyes searching, challenging the old man to laugh. But he only found kindness in them.

"You look tired, my child. Come with me." He reached out his hand, and Natsu found himself grasping on. "And we'll search for that dragon you speak of so highly together."

Natsu found himself crying for the second time that day, and the old man gathered him in his embrace – seemingly bigger than Natsu originally thought – and they stood there till his tears subsided. As they gathered his things, and prepared the trek home, Natsu turned and asked.

"What's the guild called?"

The old man smiled, a twinkle in his eyes. "Do fairies really have tails? Do they even exist? Like them, this place as an eternal mystery. A never ending adventure! Fairy Tail!"

Natsu eyed the older man doubtfully, shrugging. "That makes no sense."

The man punched him in his arm playfully. "Shut up, boy! I'm trying to be cool here!" And Natsu found himself grinning in spite of himself.

"By the way, my name is Makarov. What's yours son?"

He grinned a toothy grin.

"Natsu."

* * *

"Natsu!"

"Wake up!" Tears dropped on his face. Someone shook his shoulders desperately. "Please!"

His eyes popped open, he breathed in deep, anticipating pain and surprised when he felt nothing. He sat up, shaking his head blearily, and then someone tackled him in a tight hug.

"Natsu. Natsu. I thought–" Her voice broke.

"Lucy?" He stared at the girl, confused. The girl sat back, wiping tears from her face, and Natsu felt a momentary surge of anger at the culprit responsible for making the girl cry.

"What happened?"

She sniffed. "You were out for a long time. We thought–" She broke off again. "Anyway, Happy brought Wendy over and I guess she managed to heal your injuries." The look of relief on the girls' face was so pronounced that Natsu felt guilty.

"Where's Erza? Gray?"

The blond swallowed and pointed out towards the field of destruction before them. "They're somewhere fighting. Wendy went out to meet them." She winced, pressing her hand to her side and Natsu caught on immediately.

"What's wrong?" He grabbed hold of the girl and stopped when she grimaced.

"It's nothing."

"Lucy."

The girl sighed. "It's just a small injury." And she lifted a hand off her abdomen and fear gripped Natsu when he saw the gaping wound at her side. "It went right through." She looked down. "I was… preoccupied." Something in her voice let him know that the one she was preoccupied with was him.

She was protecting _him_.

He grounded his teeth and punched the ground, a dent appearing. "Damn it." Lucy started. She placed a reassuring hand on his arm. "It's okay. I'll be fine."

"Natsu." He avoided her gaze. "Natsu. Look at me." The authority in her voice pulled him back. "You've got to get back up and fight. They need you out there."

"I'll be fine." She reassured him before he could voice his objections. "I have my spirits with me."

His breath caught when she smiled, and despite her disheveled hair, her tattered clothes and blood and dirt smudging her face, Natsu never thought her more beautiful than in this moment. He was seized with a odd impulse to kiss her – and his ears burn at the weird, pervy thought. He shook his head to get rid of it.

"Natsu?" She looked at him in concern.

"Yeah. I know." Onyx eyes burned into her chocolate brown ones. "I know you can take care of yourself, Lucy. It's just that..." _I wanna take care of you too_. He bit back the unspoken words, and stood up, pulling her up with him, taking care of her injury.

Lucy looked at him in confusion. He grabbed her in a tight embrace.

"Just look after yourself, Lucy." He inhaled in her scent. "Then when it's all over, we'll go back home to Fairy Tail."

She wrapped her arms around him, smiling. "And go on even more adventures."

He pulled himself away reluctantly, and took in her torn-up state, determination coursing through his blood to give hell to whoever injured her. He turned and went towards the battlefield.

"I'll be waiting, Natsu!" He heard her shout, and smiled, lifting his hand up in an inverted L-sign. Their sign. He did not need to turn back to know she was doing the same.

Another old memory from days past seeped into mind as he strode towards the yells and shouts of magic clashing.

"_How'd you get so powerful, Igneel?"_

"_Natsu, you get powerful from protecting the ones you love. Your love for them will make your flames burn hotter and more brilliant than anything else in the world."_

"_So… does that mean you love me, Igneel?"_

"_More than anything, my child."_

"_More than anything in this world."_

* * *

a/n: Somewhat of an angsty end, but I kinda have a separate story regarding what Team Natsu's fight was all about. This story was mainly about the first time Natsu breathed fire, and Natsu and Igneel backstory.

And of course, Natsu and Lucy moments, since I'm a sucker for them :p

Anyways, this is for OrbitingArbiter's writing challenge on [Action] though I kinda suck at them.

Oh wells, review pls? After all the time I spent writing this, it'd be reeeeally nice to hear what you guys think about it. So... hinthint/winkwink ;)


End file.
